WordPress is a great blogging platform and this guide is a great introduction to the service. It is something I particularly recommend to student journalists as its CMS has numerous functions and provides a useful starting point when learning how to get things online.

It's important to understand what people are looking for and how they find you. These tools may not give a great deal of incite into the workings of the human mind, but are helpful when it comes to spotting and comparing trends

David Higgerson highlights useful tools to keep track of community/niche forums, and how they are useful for journalists.
My own membership of community forums has proved useful as a reporter and digital editor. During my years as a reporter I joined the community forums for the villages I covered and took part in discussions and responded to criticism.
Forums have also been useful for posting links to copy, but as Higgerson suggests, I always asked permission first.

20/06/2011

The open newsroom at the Register Citizen has captured the imagination of many journalists. I know during my time with Johnston Press it was an idea my MD was quite interested in. I know Trinity Mirror Southern took journalists out of newsrooms and had them on the move with lap tops, working out of cafés and hot desking.
There is a great deal to gain out of being part of your newspaper's community. It is essential to be known within your patch/niche, by those in the know.
During my own time as a reporter I made sure I knew all the police officers (community beat), a fair few firefighters, all the councillors, and community leaders. How by being seen out in the world. I think the court officers recognised me, too.
This is what the Register Citizen's Open Newsroom Project is working towards, as well as dispelling a few myths about journalists I'm sure.

16/06/2011

Not a new post from Martin Belam, but one which has recently come to my attention as HTML5 starts to loom into prominence.
I believe it is essential journalists can at least recognise elements of code. On a personal level I would like to understand more, but I doubt I'll be starting a second career as a developer. What is needed is an understanding of what goes where, what works, and how to make it work on your site.
This is an easy to understand guide for people with a basic knowledge of HTML.

15/06/2011

David Allen Green's piece for the New Statesman today takes the Jacqui Thompson case further. It seems Dyfed Powys Police have sent out a very generic response to his detailed questions about Ms Thompson's arrest for filming a council meeting.

Press officers in the public sector are under a great deal of pressure from higher authorities who often don't have a good understanding of what makes good and bad PR. Delayed and formulaic response that doesn't answer the questions matters worse.

Neither the council or the local force are coming out of this well, particularly when the links I made reference to yesterday are taken into consideration.

Lawyer, blogger and journalist David Allen Green has asked important questions relating to the arrest of Jacqui Thompson by Dyfed Powys Police, after her arrest for filming a council meeting. His questions are valid and really ought to have been answered by now.

Alexander Smith was a reporter at the scene of Jacqui Thompson's arrest at Carmarthenshire County Council. This story reflects badly not only on the county council, but also on the local constabulary. No laws have actually been broken here. The force's press office should be on the ball with reaction and comment. This has become a national story and lack of response makes them look inadequate.
After seeing the YouTube footage of the meeting, it does seem as though the whole situation was blow up by the chairman. Probably a long-serving councillor who enjoys the sound of his own voice. Those of us who have worked in local and regional journalism will know the type.
If the blonde police officer has managed to grab Alexander Smith's camera, the story would have taken another turn for the worse.

Former digital content and social media editor for six newspaper websites in West Sussex.
Experienced journalist and sub-editor.
Seeker of knowledge and general internet enthusiast.
My opinions are my own.